Anger and indignation seem to dominate headlines around the world these days. Angry citizens are found in every corner rallying against social injustice and global warming. Angry politicians in the West call for new walls, impervious to the plight of refugees and threatening a new round of trade wars. In stark contrast, China’s new leadership seems to be happy to climb aboard and steady the rocking ship. Take for example Xi Jinping’s confident speech earlier this year at Davos championing the cause of globalisation and measures to combat climate change. How could Western élites not feel reassured that China is on their side when it comes to tackling the challenges that lie ahead in the future? For all their wishful thinking, this may be the wrong approach to make sense of China’s vision for the future.

If you are already a subscriber, enter your username and password in the ‘Log In’ section in the top right-hand corner of the screen. If you have logged in but are still seeing this message, your subscription to ABR Online may have expired. Please contact us or click here to renew your subscription to ABR Online. More information about ABR Online can be found on our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Andres Rodriguez (PhD Oxford 2009) is lecturer in modern Chinese history at the University of Sydney. His research focuses on the intersections of nationalism and internationalism in China’s southwest border areas during the early twentieth century with a particular interest in World War II. He is currently working on a book manuscript titled Building the Nation in the Field: Frontier Modernity in Republican China’s Southwest.

Leave a comment

Please note that all comments must be approved by ABR and comply with our Terms & Conditions.

NB: If you are an ABR Online subscriber or contributor, you will need to login to ABR Online in order to post a comment. If you have forgotten your login details, or if you receive an error message when trying to submit your comment, please email your comment (and the name of the article to which it relates) to comments@australianbookreview.com.au. We will review your comment and, subject to approval, we will post it under your name.